**This site is an ongoing project. Check back for new information. The Sonoma County AVA will be coming soon.**

Explore California Wine Online

Explore California wine from a cozy chair - wine glass in hand! CaliforniaWineOnline.com will help you to learn about the exceptional wines available from California's small vineyard, estate and boutique wineries. These wineries lovingly grow and create wines that truly demonstrate the character of the land and climate where the grapes were grown. If you find yourself inspired - go and for the experience - travel the winding roads, see the vines, visit the tasting rooms, and drink the wine! The mission of CaliforniaWineOnline.com is to bring this world to you.

In May 2005 the US Supreme Court ruled that states that allow shipments of wine from within those states could not restrict shipments of wine from out of those states. This now presents great opportunities for California wine makers and for wine drinkers. These wines can be purchased directly from the wineries and shipped to your door.

Explore this site and identify the regions that produce exactly the wine characteristics you like. Do you like pears and melon or citrus and figs? Are you a rich cherry and plum lover or do you like blackberries? Maybe you like a bit of leather and tobacco in your wine.

The same wine type can be very different depending on where the grapes were grown. Cabernet Sauvignon from the Sierra Foothills has very different character. It has a bright, spicy, chocolate covered cherry character. The Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley will be dense and feature currant, cherry, plum, dark chocolate and dark fruit flavors.

Click on a wine name in the navigation bar on the left to go down to a logo to find basic information about that wine. The logo will take you to a page that describes California's different wine regions. Links will take you to those regions for specific information, lists of wineries and links to more helpful information.

 

California Terroir

California's valleys are cooled by ocean breezes and fog that infiltrate through gaps and up rivers or from bays. Mountaintops are warmed by fog-free sunny days. The state was created by tectonic and volcanic activity. These gigantic forces pushed up or built up California's mountains. The soils in these mountains can be thin decomposed granite and/or red rock from spewing volcanoes. The soils can be mixed with the remnants of what was once on the sea floor. In the valleys, eons ago, the ocean infiltrated and lay down its sediment. Rivers continue to overflow and create layers of alluvial sand, clay and loam. The slopes above continue to make their contributions to the complicated soil character below.

California's microclimates are influenced by the topography -- mountains, valleys, hillsides. This allows great diversity of varietals to be grown in the same vineyard. Explore the uniqueness of these regions and the wines they create.

 

California American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)

American Viticultural Areas are unique, legally designated grape growing areas that are defined by the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms). These regions are defined by their topography, soil types, climate and sometimes historical relevance. California has 5 major Federally designated American Viticultural Areas: North Coast, Central Valley, Sierra Foothills, Central Coast and South Coast. Each major region has sub regions as outlined in the table below and then there are further divisions within those. Click on the varietal logo below to be linked to more information. Remarkably, each sub region has specific characteristics that influence the wine. Those might be soil types, topography, weather all which create subtle differences in the wines of the sub regions.

 

California AVAs

North Coast	Mendocino County, Lake County, Sonoma County, Napa Valley, Marin County and Solono County
Sierra Foothills	North Yuba, El Dorado, Fair Play, CA Shenandoah Valley, Fiddletown
Inland	Yolo County, Madera County, Sacramento County,
Delta	San Joaquin County, Siskiyou County, Stanislaus County
Central Coast	Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara Santa Cruz
South Coast	Los Angeles County, Riverside & San Bernardino, San Diego County

 

 

Varietals

Click on one of the logos below to go to detailed information about that particular wine including the California AVAs where it is grown, the unique characteristics per AVA region, and lists of regional wineries. You will find, as you explore this site that not all AVAs are suited for all varietal types. This will be reflected as you explore the lists of wineries in the viticultural areas in this site. Some areas will have many wineries that offer certain varietals and others that offer fewer. This site focuses on varietals within regions. The information provided on the different pages will help you to narrow your area of exploration.

 

Cabernet Sauvignon, also known as Bordeaux because it originated in Bordeaux, France, is the most widely planted wine grape in California. Napa Valley, Sonoma County and Lodi-Woodbridge AVA regions have the most vines planted. Regions such as The Sierra Foothills and Mendocino County are unlikely areas where the grape is increasingly grown with excellent results. This wine ages well and gains flavor and character over a span of five to ten years. This is a dry, full bodied wine with common characteristics of cherry, berry, black currant, cassis, bell pepper and cedar. Oak barrel aging gives it toasty aromas. This wine can be extremely tannic (puckery sensation) which is mellowed with age. Merlot and Cabernet Franc are often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to soften the tannins and to add complexity.

This is the wine to pair with steak, lamb or game. More specific information about Cabernet Sauvignon and food pairings can be found in the regional AVA pages.

 

Chardonnay originated in the Burgundy and Champagne areas of France. It is the leading varietal and most popular wine in the United States. This is the main grape, along with Pinot Noir, used in the making of French Champagne and American sparking wines. The wine has complex aromas and flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, green apple and pear. When aged in oak barrels it gains overtones described as vanilla and toast. Aging in stainless steel creates a drier more fruity wine. Often Chardonnay is put through an additional fermentation process (malolactic) which brings a buttery or creamy character to the wine. Another name by which Chardonnay is known is Chablis which is a dry, acidic, less fruity form of the wine.

The grapes favor cooler regions and the Los Carneros AVAs of Napa and Sonoma was where it was originally introduced in California. The Russian River Valley and coastal regions of the North Coast, Central Coast and South Coast with the cool Pacific Ocean influence have found great success in creating fine Chardonnay. Plus the varied microclimates of the Sierra Foothills also create excellent Chardonnay. This grape is showing itself to be versatile and it is increasingly being planted into the warmer Central Valley region. Chardonnay will tolerate cellaring.

Chardonnay is best enjoyed by itself but it pairs well with cream or butter based dishes, seafood and chicken. More specific information about Chardonnay and food pairings can be found in the regional AVA pages.

 

Merlot is another Bordeaux varietal that is softer than Cabernet Sauvignon and for that reason it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to mellow its tannins. It is the most popular red wine varietal in America. Central Valley's Lodi and San Joaquin County, then Napa Valley, Sonoma Count and Monterey regions are the leading growers of Merlot. Good Merlot is smooth with black cherry, currant, and plum flavors with bay leaf and peppercorn spice sometimes accented by tobacco, or leather and tar elements.

Pair Merlot with poultry, roasted game, pork, red meat, pastas and salads. More specific information about Merlot and food pairings can be found in the regional AVA pages.

 

 

 

 

Petite Sirah has small berries and when crushed and fermented with the juice contributes to high tannins in the wine. This is another black pepper spicy wine. The fruit flavor and aroma is most often described as blackberry. In California this wine is often used to contribute body and color to Zinfandel.

Drink Petite Sirah with foods that are hearty and well spiced. More specific information about Petite Sirah ande food pairings can be found in the regional AVA pages.

 

 

 

 

Pinot Gris is the American version of the Italian Pinot Grigio although it is given both names in the US. Pinot Gris is a clone of Pinot Noir. It also grows best in cooler regions so this would include the Coastal Regions, North, Central and South. This is a full bodied wine but with a delicate and somewhat floral in aroma. Flavors are often described as lemon, pear and apple. Oak barrel aging imparts vanilla, almond and smokey character. This is a white wine even though the skins are light red to bluish gray.

Pair Pinot Gris with seafood, chicken, scallops and pasta. More specific information about Pinot Gris and food pairings can be found in the regional AVA pages.

 

Pinot Noir, also known as Burgundy in France (having originated from that region), is marked by its floral (roses & violets) character and it especially reflects its soil and environment (its terroir) with mineral qualities sometimes called earthy. Pinot Noir's flavors are described as fresh raspberry, cherry and plum and its texture as rose silky with smooth tannins. The grape grows best with warm days and cool nights. Sonoma (Russian River Valley) is by far the largest Pinot Noir growing region in California followed by Monterey, Santa Barbara and Napa. Pinot Noir goes well with almost any food.

You can pair it with beef, fish, creamy sauces, smoked foods, ham and lamb. More specific information about Pinot Noir and food pairings can be found in the regional AVA pages.

 

Sauvignon Blanc is a heat loving grape which exhibits citrus, green apple, pineapple and melon character. Check your wine label because Sauvignon Blanc from cooler regions tends to have more grassy character. Sauvignon Blanc is light and crisp and generally dry. Sonoma County, San Joaquin and Napa are the three biggest Sauvignon Blanc growing areas in California.

It goes well with seafood and chicken. Because of its higher acidity, avoid citrus and tomato based foods. More specific information about Sauvignon Blanc and food pairings can be found in the regional AVA pages.

 

Syrah is also called Shiraz in Australia. It is included among the varietals that originated in the Rhone region of France. If you are looking at French Rhone wines, same thing but it is not the same thing as Petite Sirah which is. This varietal has become more popular in California within the past ten years. Mendocino has had Syrah vines since early in the 20th century but San Luis Obispo, Sonoma County and San Joaquin now grow the most Syrah grapes. This is another spicy wine like Zinfandel with black pepper and smoke character. The fruit most often is blackberry and cassis. This is a tannic dry wine which goes well with red meat and game.

Its spiciness will pair well with similar spicy foods as Zinfandel. More specific information about Syrah and food pairings can be found in the regional AVA pages.

 

Zinfandel is known for its pepper and spice sensations and fruity characteristics especially those of raspberry, blackberry, plum, cranberry and cherry. The Zinfandel grape likes to grow where it is sunny and warm so some of the places it grows best might be surprising. Zinfandel vines thrive in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada at elevations of 1,200 feet but also in the warm Central Valley and Paso Robles in the Central Coast. Fine Zinfandel is grown in the Bay Area and in the Mendocino and Lake County region of Northern California, 100 miles north of San Francisco. It is found in Napa Valley and Sonoma's Russian River Valley. This is possible because of California's microclimates.

Spicy food and barbeque go well with Zinfandel. More specific information about Zinfandel and food pairings can be found in the regional AVA pages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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